Potato Statistics Show Overall Growth

Potato stocks held by growers, dealers, and processors in Idaho on Dec. 1, 2011 totaled 88.0 cwt, 7.0 million cwt more than what was held on the same date in 2010. Disappearance, for example, is up 22%, having gone from 32.0 million cwt to 39.1 million cwt.

Processors in Idaho and Malheur County, Oregon used 7.54 million cwt of raw potatoes in November alone, an increase of 17% over the course of the year. The processing of raw potatoes showed a 33% increase as well, landing at 28.1 million cwt. Idaho potatoes lead this count, accounting for 23.0 million cwt of the total processed potatoes, a 39% increase. The remainder of the 5.04 million cwt were produced in other states.

On a national level, 13 major potato states held 250 million cwt of potatoes in storage, a 4% increase over the course of the year. Potato storage also accounted for 66% of the 2011 fall storage, a percentage point below the December 2010 statistic. Potato disappearance, at 129 million cwt, was 10% above what it was a year ago, and season-to-date shrink and loss, at 13.5 million cwt, was 6 percent above the number recorded on the same date in 2010. Processors in 9 major states have used 73.0 million cwt of potatoes this season, 17% more than what was used in the same period a year ago. Dehydrating usage accounted for 13.4 million cwt of the total processing as well, a 68% increase from the usage a year ago.

The produce industry is getting into brand marketing in a big way. The Produce Marketing Association (PMA) has announced the launch of a new promotional campaign - FNV - designed to take a page from the marketing strategies of big-money consumer brands like Nike and Apple.
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